But because Heâ€™s given you a free will, He wonâ€™t force His will upon you. Youâ€™ll have to choose His will by trusting Him and surrendering your life to Him. Once you’ve done that, you can rest in the calm assurance thatâ€”whatever the outcomeâ€”God is in complete control.

Paul understood this when he wrote:

If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lordâ€™sâ€ (Romans 14:8).

That verse sustained me during a medical situation several years ago. I had to undergo a procedure that was not without risk. There was a fellow with a clipboard telling me things such as: what percentage of patients die during the procedure. (Not very comforting, wouldn’t you agree?)

In a very detached and professional way, he read his script, then asked if I understood. Then he asked me to sign my name at the bottom.

But throughout that whole incident (I was awake during the procedure), I clung to the phrase, “whether I live or die, I am the Lord’s”. Then I began to pray for others.

When it was over, I got an excellent report. The doctor in charge told me that 98% of the patients that undergo this procedure do not get the good report that I got. It would seem that, at least on that day, I was in the top two percent!

One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 91 because it has so many promises from God in it. I like Psalm 91 so much that I have committed the entire psalm to memory. It includes this verse:

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.” (Psalm 91:7)

That verse reminds me of how blessed I really am! On that day, when I relied on God’s Word for strength and courage, His Word sustained me!

But having said that, I have to be honest and admit that, on the day when I kept reciting that phrase, “whether I live or die, I am the Lord’s”, I didn’t even know where it was in the Bible. I had to look it up later.

The fact that I had to look it up made me realize how much I needed to put more of God’s Word into my mind. And it’s that realization, combined with other experiences, that compels me to keep hammering the “Scripture Memory” nail.

The problem is — and I’ll admit I was once like this — we believe that doing things like surrendering our whole life to God, which involves putting aside most of the attractions of this world, and embracing things such as committing Bible verses to memory, will be a major (and thus unacceptable) downgrade to our lot in life.

At first glance, it appears to be a life of monotony, duty, and meaningless, joyless drudgery. Am I right?

That’s what I thought — until circumstances became so unbearable that I finally quit trying to be in control of my life and relinquished control to God.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

I’m convinced that God initially blinds our eyes to the reality on purpose.It’s a test! Life is a sorting process. We either obey God by faith… or walk away. He wants to see who will trust Him enough to obey Him, even when what He’s asking seems futile. Only those who have chosen to obey by faith will break through to the joy and lavish benefits God has for those who seek to do His will.

How To Apply The Principle:

Worry will never lengthen your life; it will only shorten it.

Because God knows every detail of your life, including how long you will live, choose to relax and turn your life over to God. “Cast your cares upon the Lord and He will sustain you…” (Psalm 55:22a)

Recall that Jesus paid the penalty for all of your sins: past, present, and future. Therefore, if you step into His presence today, what an upgrade it will be for you!

If you are fearful of dying, say to yourself over and over what I did: “…whether I live or die, I am the Lord’s”!

Faith grows in the soil of action. So, even it you have to do these things by faith at first, the more you do and say these positive things, the more stronger your faith will become.

What To Do: Memorize these verses: Psalm 139:16, Romans 14:8, Psalm 55:22, and Psalm 46:1. Actually, I’ve made it easy for you. Click here to open a separate window with a PDF file containing a printable 8-1/2 x 11 page with these four Scriptures on it for you. It’s marked with faint cutting lines for you to cut out (4) 3″ x 5″ Scripture cards.

Worldly wisdom says: “Seeing Is Believing!”

If we can see the big picture, with all the dots connected, and if we like the looks of it, then we’ll consider doing what God says.

God never does anything according to the ways of the world. Have you noticed that?

Rather, God’s wisdom says: “Believing Is Seeing!”

He promises: when we come to Him by faith — especially when we can’t see how what He’s asking is possible — we’ll find that God keeps His promises.

Where Do You Stand?

I’ve written much on the subject of Scripture memory. I invite you to read these things that God has moved me to write, then respond to God in faith.

PRAYER: â€œI give praise to You, Lord Jesus, and I delight in the wonderful wisdom You gave us when You said, â€˜Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own thingsâ€™ (Matthew 6:34). I choose to trust You. I am content in knowing that You are in complete control of today, tomorrow, and all the days of my life.â€

~ Jan

Have you seen our Scripture cards?

They have powerful Bible passages on the front, and practical applications on the back. These are 4" x 6" cards offset-printed on postcard stock.

Click the thumbnail images to see larger images of the front and back of each card.